‘Truth’ of Online Job Applications

By the time I finish my MBA and leave the college, I will have created a world record. A world record of applying for the most number of jobs on job portals and company websites and still not been able to get one single call for the interview!!!

Past few weeks have been quite frustrating, partly because of monotonous journey of life and partly because of unheeded applications for job. Not a single day goes by without me applying for some 100-150 job openings. I have tried every possible forum and tried every possible measure, but my all efforts were in vain. Having done all that, I wonder whether Indian companies or Indian subsidiaries of MNCs actually use the online portals at all for recruiting. I find it extremely difficult to reconcile with the fact that all the hundreds of applications that I have given for getting some opportunities to try my hands at, remain unanswered.

I tried to understand the reason for such a lukewarm response to my job applications. Few people, especially my faculties and others back at the college blamed economic slowdown. Is it really because of slowdown in the Indian economy?? I doubt that. After all, India is still growing at 5-6 percent and companies obviously are hiring for that sake.

So, what is the reason?

I have developed certain theories on the basis of my own experience and I guess these theories are more or less valid and explain the reason why fate of applications from ‘us’ applicants end up in the recycle bin.

Firstly, let’s face it. Indian companies don’t give a damn about all the job portals. They continue to recruit through same age old process. All the websites, Monster.coms, LinkedIns remain a tool to advertise and promote the company, but it hardly comes handy at picking candidates for various positions.

Secondly, though companies would continue to call their selection process unbiased, but there remains a clear cut bias in the favour of top rung colleges. Though, quite often, we have heard that it is the knowledge and excellence of a person that matters the most, but in reality, it is the ‘college brand’ that decides the fate of one’s application. No matter, how genius you are, it is your destiny to play second fiddle, if you are not from the likes of IIMs or IITs. In my opinion, this is the single biggest reason people like Satya Nadella & Rajiv Suri fail to leave their mark while working in India, but do wonder elsewhere.

It is a fact that every one cannot get into IIMs or IITs, but should that stop companies from looking for students, the ones with excellent knowledge and potential, elsewhere? Why shouldn’t a student from Allahabad University get a chance to be interviewed at Goldman Sachs? Why should the application of a student from Patna University end up in recycle bin of Tata Motors? Why don’t companies like M&M, Deloitte, Pepsico, NTPC, ONGC, Reliance conduct their campus placements for students of some tier 3 MBA colleges? And if they cannot, then should they call themselves as ‘equal opportunity firms’?

It is extremely unfortunate that here in India, for the namesake all the companies post job openings on various portals, LinkedIn etc, which are supposed to be open for all but at the end of the day, all of them prefer students from ONLY top notch colleges. This inbuilt discrimination in the minds of our corporate needs to be done away with, otherwise India would continue to remain the unfortunate home of all such people who shine abroad but fail to prosper at home.

Ishank Sagar

An Arts Graduate, currently pursuing MBA, Ideologically more inclined towards Communism, but Doesn't favour a Soviet Styled society. Calls himself an "Evolved Communist". Always willing to accept good things of Capitalism to improve the life of peopl

Leave a Reply